


My Only Sunshine

by whenshewrites



Series: SterekWeek2020 [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale Takes Care of Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, Grey Open Ending, Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, One Shot, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, sterekweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:49:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27278266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenshewrites/pseuds/whenshewrites
Summary: “Tonight,” Stiles said, already wrapped around the Alpha. “We’re ordering pizza and watching movies together until the sun comes up. Capiche?”Derek just rolled his eyes. Stiles grinned.“Good, I’m glad we’ve got that all figured out. So, I’m thinking we should start with—”And then the alarm went off.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: SterekWeek2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990420
Comments: 37
Kudos: 187





	My Only Sunshine

_The other night dear,_

_as I lay sleeping_

_I dreamed I held you in my arms_

_But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken_

_So I hung my head and I cried_

-

Twelve hours ago, Stiles had seen the night ending much differently.

He was at the loft when the alarm came on. 

The betas had gone out long ago and Stiles had quickly claimed the rest of the night as ‘Derek and Stiles time’ to which the Alpha had immediately made a face. But Stiles was determined, dammit. They never got any alone time anymore, with the betas getting all up in their personal space whenever Stiles wanted some _‘Sourwolf time’._

And Derek always refused to get all soft and squishy if anyone else was around to see.

So Stiles had threatened the betas with bodily harm, Boyd had decided it was best to take the others out for the night, and Stiles had immediately pounced on Derek, who still looked confused. But what was he expected to do, honestly? It had been too long since they’d been left alone in the same room together.

“Tonight,” Stiles had said, already wrapped around the Alpha. “We’re ordering pizza and watching movies together until the sun comes up. Capiche?”

Derek had just rolled his eyes. Stiles grinned.

“Good, I’m glad we’ve got that all figured out. So, I’m thinking we should start with—”

And then the alarm went off.

Looking back now, Stiles supposed they had been a little too relaxed. But it was the summer after the pack’s first year of college and honestly, none of them could be blamed. The threats weren’t coming weekly anymore and sometimes, Stiles got a full night’s sleep without nightmares. He found himself slacking off more and more often, and he knew the others were doing the same.

Which might’ve been the problem.

Because when the loft alarm went off, alerting them of intruders, Stiles wasn’t nearly as ready as he used to have been.

Derek was on his feet first, claws out and eyes flashing red. But then the hunters came in the numbers tripling their own and Stiles didn’t even have the chance to stand before there was a tranq dart embedded in his neck. He half-remembered fumbling at it, half-remembered Derek roaring, and then man was catching him before he fell.

The rest was mostly black. There was another howl that had struck the air, Stiles remembered faintly. One calling for the rest of the pack. But then all Stiles had known was unconsciousness.

Some part of him had been panicked, if only for a moment. Another part had murmured _‘I told you so’_ and Stiles knew he never should have sent the pack away.

It was all his fault.

He didn’t even hear Derek collapse beside him.

-

_You are my sunshine,_

_my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are gray_

_You'll never know dear,_

_how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

-

Derek had been captured by hunters a fair amount of times in his life. It never ended well on the hunters' side, except this time was different. He realized that the moment he’d woken up.

Because Stiles had never been taken alongside him before.

Years ago, Derek might not have cared. When Stiles was just that thorn in his side, some teenage hyperactive sidekick that he could barely stand. When Derek had kept the kid around only because Scott followed wherever Stiles went. 

Years ago, he might not have cared.

But this time, Derek felt himself start to panic the moment he saw Stiles unconscious on the other side of the cell. Because he cared _so much_ now.

Stiles groaned as he stirred back to life. Derek’s heart skipped a beat.

“Stiles—”

“Der?”

The boy was still in the red sweatshirt he’d been wearing earlier. There were a few tears in it now and a splatter of blood on Stiles’s neck where the dart had been pulled out. But other than that, he looked okay. More than okay, actually.

Derek could have melted into the floor.

He half-realized then, moving forward to gather the boy in his arms, that he was still a little woozy himself. The hunters had hit him with more than one dart and Derek was pretty sure the venom had been enough to knock out an elephant. And, judging by the reeling of his stomach, there had been some sort of wolfsbane mixed in.

Of course, there was. Derek should have known better than to put anything past hunters.

Some part of him felt like this was his fault.

Because it was his job to take care of the pack. Once upon a time, Derek had done everything he could to make sure they were prepared to face any threat. Once upon a time, it hadn’t mattered what the others thought of his preparations. Just as long as they were all fit enough to be able to handle anything that came. Any risk that threatened their lives.

But then he’d gotten lax.

Derek had forgotten how many things existed to hunt him and his pack down.

Pulling Stiles close, Derek didn’t even realize the apologies he was murmuring until the teen pushed at his chest weakly. Stiles groaned, one hand reaching up to rub at the bloodstained mark on his neck, while the other nudged Derek away a little bit.

“Dude, what is—”

“Hunters.”

“No,” Stiles said, groaning again. “No, I know that. But what are you—?”

“I’m sorry.”

Stiles blinked, looking confused. Then he grunted something intelligible and buried his face in Derek’s neck, pulling him even closer. And it was a reaction that always brought Derek’s guard down, no matter how prepared he was for it.

A growl built up at the back of his throat as he pulled Stiles even closer.

Derek could still remember the first time he’d told Stiles about the meaning of certain touches to werewolves. The one along the back of the neck; scenting. The one along the front; threatening. And then that of complete and utter claiming, when Derek could still feel the mating bite on his shoulder and Stiles had stayed nestled against his neck for hours, making sure their scents were mixed enough to be basically inseparable.

Derek found himself relaxing unconsciously into Stiles’s warm breaths against his skin. 

And then their cell door opened.

-

_I'll always love you and make you happy_

_If you will only say the same_

_But if you leave me and love another_

_You'll regret it all some day_

-

When Scott and Allison had first gotten together, Stiles decided he was never going to be like them.

Not because he didn’t support their relationship or whatever. Of course, he did, Stiles had been the third wheel for long enough to basically be part of the relationship. But they were so soft and gooey _,_ he sometimes felt the need to vomit when they were together.

In the beginning, Stiles had vowed he’d never be like them. He didn’t plan to be Romeo or Juliet. The whole shebang made him queasy.

But then one night, Derek Hale had kissed him.

There was something about nicknames that used to get underneath Stiles’s skin. Well, nicknames, inside jokes, and all those cute little couple things. He thought it might have been because he just was single and annoyed, but then again, maybe some people were just more frustrating than others.

Before Derek came along, Stiles decided he’d never be called babe _,_ or have some stupid joke/song/cutsey moment that made everyone else groan. Because that was just a cliche.

But then Derek Hale came along.

There were these nights they’d faced, when Stiles couldn’t sleep. When every time he closed his eyes, he’d be haunted by the memories. The memories, the monsters, and the horrid things that he couldn’t escape.

Those were nights that Derek would hold him close. Hold him close and whisper soft, comforting things. Gentle reinforcements. Quiet lullabies. Stories that they’d told each other over and over again when the nights got rough.

There were the little things. The little things that made Stiles wonder when he’d become one of those couples.

But this time was different.

He’d been kidnapped plenty of times. In the years before, Stiles used to be prime pack bait. He’d faced witches, warlocks, and monsters aplenty. He’d gotten comfortable in the tiniest of cells because he’d always known that somehow, _somehow_ the rest of the pack was going to find him.

This time was different.

It kind of scared him more than anything.

Stiles didn’t even have a chance to get his bearings before the door to their cell opened up. Flinching back, he felt Derek’s grip tighten, and the light that poured in burned his eyes, making him look away.

The footsteps moved closer and someone grabbed him by the arms, hauling him up. Stiles yelped and tried to jerk loose as Derek let loose a loud, murderous roar.

Then for the second time that— day? Maybe?— there was a needle jabbed into his neck and Stiles groaned. Because the last time he’d felt this drugged up and woozy, he’d been on meds in the hospital after an unfortunate wendigo run-in. And that had been bad enough.

Derek was still snarling, but Stiles found himself going limp in the grip of his captors. As everything went dark, some part of him felt like he was used to this. Used to being the pack bait. The one knocked out and lugged around.

Another part of him was panicking.

Stiles thought if the last thing he did was hold Derek close, maybe this all wouldn’t be so bad.

-

_You are my sunshine,_

_my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are gray_

_You'll never know dear,_

_how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

-

When Derek had first kissed him, it was the day after graduation.

Stiles didn’t think he’d ever forget that. Of course, he’d been so startled when Derek had shoved up his window, he’d nailed the man in the face with the reading light he kept next to his bed. But that totally hadn’t been his fault. Three years and counting, and Derek still hadn’t figured out how to use the front door.

The man had gotten over it eventually, though there had been an angry red mark on his forehead for a good fifteen minutes afterward. In fact, it was still there when Stiles had gone off on a rant about werewolves never knocking and Derek had pulled him in close, one kiss promptly shutting Stiles up for an hour.

It was all fine and dandy except Stiles had also accidentally hit him in the face in surprise.

But that’s what they did. Derek was constantly taking Stiles off guard and he sure as hell hoped he was doing the same. It was what they did. 

Sometimes, it was the little things. Like the very first night Derek had been waiting in Stiles’s room after lacrosse practice and he’d nearly had a heart attack at seeing the man. And then there were the other times, like when Stiles had taken a dive into the pool to save an angry-browed werewolf that he’d accidentally dropped there in the first place.

So, Derek kissed him the day after Stiles’s graduation. Then he proceeded to vanish for a week and Stiles had to track the man down, knocking some sense into him before kissing Derek long and hard again.

Things had been a little less stressful since. Depending on the day, that is.

Stiles had spent a enough time pining after the Sourwolf that he took no time jumping Derek’s bones. One night in the same bed was Stiles’s best night of sleep since he first learned about werewolves and then Derek continued to show up in his bedroom almost every night after that.

It proved to be a very interesting conversation the one morning Stiles’s dad walked in.

The first big threat they faced after graduation was a coven of witches who kidnapped Stiles to be their virgin sacrifice. Because apparently, word hadn't spread yet that one particular Alpha had made sure that wasn’t the case anymore.

Stiles had only felt slightly bad when Derek tore them apart.

Then the first summer ended, he went off to Stanford, and even the miles between them didn’t stop Derek— or the betas, for that matter— from showing up randomly. Eventually, a rumor was started that Stiles was either part of a gang or in an open relationship with a bunch of models. He didn’t dispute either of those.

Stiles told Derek he loved him first. He figured the werewolf had initiated the first kiss, so he might as well have some leverage in the relationship.

Stiles never should have shown Derek _Star Wars_ , though, because the man had replied with _‘I know’_ and proceeded to smirk like a bastard when Stiles hit him over the head.

And the funny thing was, Stiles didn’t see them as one of ‘those couples’ until the first night Derek had sung him to sleep after a particularly bad nightmare. He woke up the next morning realizing that he would go to the literal end of the world for the man if he asked, and then that was it. He would do anything for Derek Hale.

It was all funny at one point.

Not so much anymore.

-

_You told me once, dear, you really loved me_

_And no one else could come between_

_But now you've left me and love another_

_You have shattered all of my dreams_

-

When the hunters came back with Stiles, Derek felt like he knew what it was like to be on the verge of going feral. 

He thought the waiting had been the worst. Because some part of him had kept waiting, kept _wondering_ if he was going to suddenly feel their bonds being broken. It was like losing a limb, Peter had once warned. But Derek thought it would be so much more if he lost Stiles.

If he lost Stiles—

Derek caught the boy’s scent seconds before the cell door opened up. That of cinnamon, spice, and blood. It made him both terrified and feral at the same time, and if the hunters would’ve had any idea what was going on in Derek’s head, they might have turned heel right there and fled.

But all they saw was a red-eyed werewolf, still half drugged.

When they’d taken Stiles, they’d injected more wolfsbane into his system. Enough to make Derek still for a moment too long as the door opened, wondering if it was some sort of hallucination, even though he knew it wasn’t. And then Stiles was dumped back into the cell.

Derek moved forward, gathering the boy up in his arms before his mind had even caught up.

Injuries were a common occurrence when someone dealt with supernatural threats as often as Derek and his pack did. But it never got any easier when he caught the faintest hint of blood on the boy. And this— this—

_Fuck._

The first time Derek had seen Stiles hurt enough for it to be concerning, he’d finally realized the difference between the human and the wolf inside of him. Because one was terrified. And the other was downright murderous.

Derek hadn’t felt this bloodthirsty in a long time.

The black lines moving up his arms weren’t nearly moving fast enough as he cupped Stiles’s face. The teen groaned softly, stirring a little, and Derek could _hear_ the spike of pain in the boy’s heartbeat. He hated himself for every moment that he couldn’t take all the pain away at once.

When Stiles finally opened his eyes, smiling tiredly with blood-stained teeth, Derek nearly broke down.

“Dammit, Stiles—”

“Hey, there, Sourwolf,” Stiles slurred, a hand reaching up and touching his cheek. There was dried blood on his fingertips too. Derek swallowed hard and turned his face into the touch, hating himself even more for how powerless he felt. 

“I’m so sorry.”

Stiles huffed, then broke into a coughing fit. And some traitorous part of Derek’s mind realized that the last time Stiles had been hurt bad enough for it to be concerning, it wasn’t nearly as bad as this. It wasn’t nearly as bad.

Stiles’s forehead was hot to touch, but his fingers were ice cold.

“Okay,” Derek said, forcing himself out of his head. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”

Somehow, even in the darkness, even reflecting obvious pain, Stiles’s eyes danced. “You’ve got a plan, Sourwolf?”

Derek didn’t. He didn’t have the slightest idea.

But smirking, he just raised an eyebrow and hoped it looked more convincing than he felt. “I’m the Alpha.”

“That’s so not a good plan, dude.”

Glancing back up at the cell door, Derek wondered for a moment if they’d come for him soon, too. That’s what he’d expected in the beginning. He’d expected to be the one they took. Because he could heal, dammit. He could put himself back together.

But Stiles was just human.

Clenching his jaw, Derek turned his eyes back down to Stiles. The boy’s gaze was hazy, but he was still awake. “Can you tell me what they wanted?”

“What hunters always want,” Stiles said, coughing again. The blood speckled his lips now. “Something to go after.”

“Stiles…”

“I didn’t give anything to them,” Stiles said, eyes glinting a little. And that bloody smirk was so damn proud, it made Derek’s heart skip a beat. “I told them to go fuck themselves, at least. But we’ll be fine. The pack will be here soon.”

Once more, Derek’s throat tightened. He forced himself to nod. “Yeah.”

“I mean, I totally believe in Boyd.”

Derek huffed and Stiles closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few sharp breaths. Quickly, Derek caught the hand still touching his cheek and lowered it across the boy’s chest, squeezing gently. Stiles made a small noise at the back of his throat and Derek realized it was a laugh.

“I don’t believe in the others so much, though.”

“No.”

“But don’t tell them I said that.”

“Never.”

When Stiles finally opened his eyes again, there was nothing but fondness in his gaze. It broke Derek’s heart. “Hey, Der?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re mine, you know that?”

Derek swallowed. “I know, Stiles.”

“You’re my sunshine.”

“I— I know.”

“The only one I ever needed.”

Derek looked down at him quietly. Stiles’s eyes fluttered closed again after a moment, and the boy turned his face into Derek’s chest, thumb brushing against the back of Derek’s hand. Taking a shuddering breath, Derek closed his eyes too, squeezing a little tighter. He almost didn’t want to hold onto those last few words.

Because they couldn’t be Stiles's last. 

They couldn’t.

-

_You are my sunshine,_

_my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are gray_

_You'll never know dear,_

_how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

-

In the hours that stretched on, the hunters didn’t come back.

Stiles felt a little bit like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his everything and a little bit like the drugs in his system had done something to his brain, the world moving sluggishly as he drifted in and out of sleep.

When the faint light coming from underneath the cell door dimmed, Stiles figured it was nighttime. That’s when the temperature dropped. Derek hadn’t seemed to notice right away, though, arms wrapped around Stiles’s shoulders. But the moment he shivered, Stiles felt the grip tighten, and then Derek was maneuvering him carefully, so Stiles was even more enveloped in the werewolf’s body heat, feeling like he was curled right up against a heater.

He chuckled hoarsely into the man’s chest, faintly noticing it was speckled with blood. His blood, Stiles realized after a moment too long.

“It’s the middle of summer, Sourwolf,” Stiles said, turning his gaze upward a little. “Why the hell is it so cold?”

Derek looked pained. Stiles stared at him for a moment longer and then blinked, dropping his gaze again.

“It’s not, is it?”

“You’re going to be alright, Stiles.”

Stiles was the master at bullshit answers. And that one wouldn’t have even hit his top ten list. “You’re a terrible liar, Der.”

The man didn’t answer. Stiles blinked hard again, realizing for the first time how tight his throat had gotten.

“I don’t feel bad,” he said. “A little sore, but that’s all.”

Once more, Derek stayed silent. But Stiles felt his arms tighten around him just a little, before quickly loosening again. As if Derek couldn’t figure out how tight to hold on. 

“I don’t feel bad,” Stiles said again. Derek pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

“Okay, Stiles.”

“Really.”

“That’s good.”

Stiles sniffed, leaning further into the werewolf’s body head and closing his eyes. If he tried hard enough, he could imagine it was just another night. One of those when Stiles woke up trembling and Derek was wrapped around him in a second, whispering soft nothings in his ear as Stiles came down from the edge and stopped panicking.

He swallowed hard. “Can you sing to me, Sourwolf?”

As close as he was, Stiles could hear Derek’s heartbeat in his chest. He could hear how it skipped a beat and the man took a sharp breath before one hand moved up and traced through his hair. “Of course.”

There were things he could say, Stiles figured. Ways he could reassure the man once more.

He felt guilty, staying silent as his entire body ached.

The first time Derek had sung to him, it was after a nightmare. And the man had been quiet for what felt like hours afterward, before telling him that Laura used to sing back in New York. Mostly after nightmares, sometimes just because.

Sometimes, because she needed it more than him.

Stiles thought he was the one who needed it right now. But when Derek’s fingers traced down over the back of his neck and Stiles realized they were trembling slightly, he was no longer so sure.

“You’re my sunshine,” Derek murmured, the words more of a whisper than anything else. And it felt private. 

Safe. 

“My only sunshine.”

-

_In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me_

_When I awake my poor heart pains_

_So when you come back and make me happy_

_I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame_

-

Derek hated the silence.

Stiles’s heart didn’t skip a beat until what felt like hours later. It skipped just one beat, Derek told himself, half-asleep with Stiles in his lap. One quick beat, pausing right underneath the boy’s skin. So soft, he might not have felt it if the silence and stillness around them wasn’t so heavy.

But it was just a skip. One skip.

It wasn’t until Derek was nearly fully unconscious that he realized one skip was taking much too long.

When was one skip supposed to start again?

-

_“Please don’t take my sunshine away.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Remember that one time I promised no unhappy endings ever? 
> 
> *winces*
> 
> So, I wrote this for SterekWeek day five (song lyrics) and it wasn't supposed to be so angsty, I swear. But then it was. And now I have nothing to say for myself other than I'm so sorry.


End file.
